MONDAY March 8, 2010 was designated as Women’s Day. It was a day to pay tribute to women and their ‘works’. I have a problem with that because there are women in our country who in private life or because of not being in the public domain their contributions to ‘people’ have not and are not publicly acknowledged.
However, there are four women in my opinion whose works stand out. The first is my mother, Lucille Williams, who had 13 children right in the tenement yard or the rum shop yard of Durban & Louisa Row (Pockoo Dam). I am the first of her children. I am 70 years old. Out of the 13 only one has died. I am living in Guyana and 11 others live in America. My mother is still alive at the age of 90. I have not seen her since 1978 but we speak to each other at least twice per week because of the paper work. I will never see my mother again. Yes I have 11 brothers and sisters living in America with my mother.
The second woman I would like to highlight is a woman whose name is Olga Lopes Seals. This woman was a radio announcer on station ZFY (1950-60) and was one of the instigators of Radios Needy Children Fund (one has to be over 60 years to know what I am talking or what ZFY was. It was our first radio station and it was located at New Garden and North Road where Fatima Church now stands. (Come and see me and I will tell you historical facts).
My third woman of human endeavour was Mrs. Janet Jagan. I was 11-12 years old in 1953-54 when she along with Cheddi would come to the tenement yard, sometimes with Jane Phillips Gaye. They would collect my dad and me, and at 12 years old I was made aware of politics or became politically conscious. Yes, Mr. Professor, the blue eye bougee, Janet Jagan, would come into the nigger yard at Durban and Louisa Row and assist the 20 odd mothers who were living their 14 – 16 ft range house. Bathe their children and help prepare them for school, my siblings were some who were so privileged (ask Nylon).
This is year 2010 and the one woman who in my mind who stands out today, the lady who is there for the pensioners (like T), the battered women, the single parents (men included), the children who fall in all the misfortunes of human beings, including the women whose husbands are incarcerated. The Lady who is there for the beaten down- trodden people of our country is Ms. Priya Manikchand our Minister of Human Services and Social Security. The lady really stands out as the only one who makes this Ministry what its name signifies, ‘human services’. To me Ms. Manickchand is the Mother Theresa of Guyana. Yes, she was there for the devastated people of Haiti after the hurricane.
I close by asking the academics, why envy them? One day I will shake her hand and say thank you lady for seeing issues. The issues of the deprived. Keep up the good work, lady. The other side is watching and is very grateful. All I see for my country is positive things. I see no negatives.
All I see for my country is a shining light ahead of the tunnel. I was there on the street in the sixties fighting for independence for my country. Yes Professor ‘massa days done’. I was there when the British soldiers shot Mr. Hyder Khan’s son at the corner of Regent and Wellingtons Streets. For What! They were telling us in our country that we must not be seen on the streets between 6pm and 6am for demonstrating against colonialism. For that a Guyanese was killed. I am one who publicly state  without fear that I owe and we owe the imperialist and the colonialist, nothing. I don’t have to worry, I do not intend applying for a visa to go anywhere.
You can’t deport me from Guyana. ‘Me nable string bury here’.